When I look back at moments like these, I’m reminded of how far the journey has taken me, from silence to storytelling, from surviving to leading. This reel was created earlier this year when I refreshed my website, but the message still rings true: every stage, every audience, every conversation has helped me grow and stay grounded in purpose. My work continues… @sarahbassy Creative Director | Designer

Ten years ago, we founded the Louisiana Coalition on Criminalization and Health (LCCH) with a belief that sustained, community-led advocacy could change the law. Last week, at The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation’s Night of Compassion, we had the opportunity to mark what that commitment made possible: a decade after LCCH was established, Louisiana enacted reforms to an outdated HIV "exposure" law rooted in the stigma and misinformation of the 1980s into closer alignment with modern science. It was especially meaningful to have two of LCCH’s co-founders present for the event. As a co-founder of LCCH and Chair of ETAF’s Council of Justice Leaders, I had the honor of connecting this Louisiana milestone to ETAF’s broader HIV is Not a Crime initiative and introducing Dietz, LCCH’s Executive Director, who has been at the forefront of this work. This victory did not happen overnight. It came from years of organizing, relationship-building, testimony, community education, persistence, working alongside national and local partners and the leadership of impacted individuals living with HIV and communities in Louisiana most affected by HIV criminalization. ETAF’s support helped make that work possible by investing in the coalition and strengthening the infrastructure needed to sustain advocacy and move reform forward. The moment reminded me that changing a law is rarely one action or one person’s accomplishment. It is what can happen when lived experience, local leadership, long-term investment, and collective strategy come together. Ten years of coalition-building. Years of advocacy. A law finally changed in May 2026, which significantly limits prosecutions to actions posing substantial likelihood of transmission. That is a legislative milestone worth honoring and a foundation for the work still ahead.

#AIDS2026 in Rio. Honored to co-present “Exposing Inequity,” my first poster examining the scope and enforcement of HIV criminalization laws and their disproportionate impact on women and Black, brown, and LGBTQ+ people in the United States. My contribution centered on a message I continue to carry into this work: HIV criminalization is not only a legal or public health issue - it is a systems issue. The disparities reflected in the research are connected to how laws are written, how institutions exercise power, how public health and legal systems interact, and whose lives are most exposed to punishment. Evidence is essential, but evidence must be translated into policy, institutional accountability, and meaningful action. I’m grateful for the experience, the collaboration, and the opportunity to help move the conversation from documenting inequity to changing the systems that produce it.

(1/2) 🇺🇸 July 4th, America’s #IndependenceDay, offers both an opportunity to celebrate the freedom associated with living in the United States and to reflect on where the promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is still yet to be fully realized. ⁠

We’re just a few days away from HIV Is Not A Crime Awareness Day, and we’re excited to share that @Lavernecox has joined ETAF as a 2026 Champion! Join us in celebrating Laverne for her decades-long activism and for joining our fight to decriminalize HIV! #HIVIsNotACrime

Our hearts are full seeing @RuPaulsDragRace contestant Mandy Mango take inspiration from our founder, Elizabeth Taylor, and her work against AIDS in this stunning look! We’re so honored by this special shoutout 💜 #HIVIsNotACrime

Grateful to be part of @ETAForg, The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation community, and this collective work. 2025 reminded us that progress is never linear, but solidarity, leadership, and an unwavering commitment to justice make forward movement possible. Thank you for continuing to center dignity, equity, and the voices of those most impacted. Looking ahead with hope and resolve.

The @HIVCaucus is pleased to announce newly elected and appointed officers: Shayla Knighton-Black, MPH, Christian Felix Castro, Venita Ray, JD, and Ronald Johnson. Learn more in our latest video:

It's Human Rights Day. People living with HIV have a right to treatment, housing, & healthcare. People with HIV have a right to live free of stigma. Join the @HIVCaucus in creating a world where the rights of people living with HIV are guaranteed.

HIV criminalization isn’t just a public health issue. It’s a freedom issue. And it’s a HUMAN RIGHTS issue. Join us in learning more and taking action to decriminalize HIV this International Human Rights Day at ETAF.org/HIVisNotACrime

📰 #AIDS2026 #abstract submissions are now open! Showcase your cutting-edge research at the world’s largest conference on #HIV & AIDS, taking place in #Rio de Janeiro & virtually. ✅ Learn more & submit your research by 27 January! #RethinkRebuildRise iasociety.org/conferences/ai…

Every Trans Life. Every HIV Story. The HIV Caucus Fights for You. This message guided us at AIDSWatch this year — and it guides us now: You deserve to be here. Your life is precious. Your existence is powerful. #TransDayOfRemembrance

The current administration has announced that it can reject visa applicants with cancer, diabetes, & obesity. @HIVCaucus remembers when the US had the same policy towards people living w HIV, & we won't stand for it. Read more in our latest newsletter: mailchi.mp/0886a224006d/join…

If a loved one is detained by ICE, knowing what to do next can make all the difference. We’ve put together a guide with clear steps and links to key resources — including the ICE Detainee Locator System and the Executive Office for Immigration Review: 🔗 legalaidnyc.org/es/get-help/…

🚨 IMPORTANT 🚨

Episode 3 of The Recruiters with Tom Duane features Robert in a conversation about justice, stigma, and the fight to end HIV criminalization. Filmed at Manhattan Neighborhood Network, the episode pairs Robert's lived experience with Duane’s signature wit and political insight, offering an honest and inspiring look at advocacy, resilience, and the power of visibility. piped.video/watch?v=kDZRXBYc…

Hey MISTR! @heymistr_ is launching the first ever National PrEP Day on 10/10 with the goal of getting 10,000 new people on PrEP! Protect yourself. Protect your community. Celebrate and sign up: NationalPrEPDay.com”

Save HIV Funding’s Maxx Boykin calls on Congress to fully restore HIV funding while speaking at @LatinoDeepSouth's Encuentro 2025.

Black Conservatives love to talk about accountability — but forget who’s been running the worst states in America. That ain’t responsibility. That’s political hypocrisy. @the_jefferymead I didn’t tag you because I never took the time to find more of your tired message. I screen recorded the BS, recorded and moved on. You talk slow and calm but Jeff explain the following. Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama stay at the bottom of damn near every ranking — education, healthcare, poverty, infrastructure — and all three are run by Republicans. So if “personal responsibility” fixes everything, why hasn’t your party fixed the states it controls? You folks are quick to call Black people lazy or unaccountable, but never mention the governors, legislatures, and school boards that have been red for decades. If leadership matters, let’s talk about the leaders. You can’t brag about being the party of family values while your families are dying younger, learning less, and living poorer. That’s not accountability — that’s bad governance dressed up as moral superiority. Stop blaming Black folks for the mess your party made. The data doesn’t lie — conservatives states fail the hardest and shout the loudest. That not responsibility. That’s political hypocrisy.

When the Obama Presidential Center opens next year, it will be a hub for change — a place for people from all over the world to come together, get inspired, and take what they learn back to their own communities. obama.org/presidential-cente…